Construction work on the HSE's €8 million Primary Care Centre in Wexford town is nearing completion with the brand new building expected to be open to the public in April.

The centre of 3,715 sq m has been built on the site of the existing Wexford Community Care Centre in Grogan's Road and will house all existing services currently offered in the clinic. along with additional facilities.

Building work on the project began in June 2016 with loan funding assistance coming from the European Investment Bank under the European Fund for Strategic Investments for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) stimulus package aimed at delivering critical social and economic infrastructure.

The Wexford centre is one of 14 such clinics being developed in the State's first healthcare public private partnership deal with the help of a €70 million loan from the EIB. A consortium involving UK construction giant Balfour Beatty and Prime, JJ Rhatigan and Aramark was selected to develop the 14 primary care centres at an estimated cost of €115 million.

The existing building in Grogan's Road is to be demolished and replaced by a 120-space car park to serve the new centre and this work will be carried out in the weeks after the new building comes into operation at the beginning of April.

A number of multi-disciplinary rooms will be available to be booked by visiting health professionals. The centre will be open at least five days a week with extra hours at weekends and evenings for some services.

An Area Medical Officer will be based in the building along with GP and community teams, the Caredoc Service, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work, speech and language therapy, home help, addiction services, dental services, nutritional and dietician services, psychology and counselling services, audiology and opthalmology, chiropody, podiatry, early intervention and school age services.

The main reception area was designed to increase seating for waiting patients and clients and to provide disabled access and an entrance to a secure outdoor area for children. The psychology service has been located to ensure privacy for patients.

Confirming that the opening plans are on track, Anna Marie Lanigan, Head of Service'Primary Care, South East Community Healthcare said the new primary care centre will mean that the public in Wexford and surrounding locaties can look forward to accessing enhanced services in one location and there will be greater integration of primary care team members.

The overall national primary care centre project costing €115 million was announced by Deputy Brendan Howlin during his time as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. 'It means that local people will have a top-class community-based healthcare service on their doorstep, and it is a further step towards delivering the right care in the right place at the right time', he said.